Mahmoud Abbas, the long-serving Palestinian Authority president, continues to exercise authority through Fatah despite turning 90, widespread domestic discontent with his leadership, and polls showing roughly 80 percent of Palestinians favoring his resignation. He has formalized an interim succession mechanism favoring Hussein al-Sheikh via 2025 constitutional declarations while scheduling the first legislative elections since 2006 for November 2026 and presidential voting for early 2027. Recent Fatah party proceedings in May 2026 reaffirmed his position as movement leader and included pledges for reforms and delayed elections, reinforcing institutional continuity rather than abrupt change. Any near-term vacancy would likely trigger the designated interim process ahead of those votes, though health incidents or external pressures could still alter timelines.